Follow-up table to the country visit of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to Cyprus (29 March-5 April 2012)* Recommendations of Follow-up information from UN documents (e.g. Special Follow-up information from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus/ the Special Rapporteur Procedures, Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review and Office Turkish Cypriot authorities/other stakeholders in his mission report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) *The information in this column is reproduced as received from the various (A/HRC/22/51/Add.1) stakeholders in November and December 2014 “74. The Government of Committee on the Rights of the Child, Concluding observations on Information received from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus: the Republic of Cyprus the combined third and fourth periodic report of Cyprus, June “Religious freedom in the Republic of Cyprus is protected by the 1960 should further develop 2012 (CRC/C/CYP/CO/3-4): Constitution. All religious groups that are not specifically provided for under the its existing policy of “17. The Committee remains deeply concerned that the State party has Constitution, have the right to apply to register as non-profit organisations with the appreciating religious no centralized national registry for the collection of data, with Registrar of Companies of the Republic of Cyprus. Once they have been and belief diversity with individual ministries and services implementing separate data registered, non-profit organisations are tax-exempt. The Government of the a view to including collection systems which are not interlinked or coordinated. In this Republic of Cyprus provides free and accessible education to all students at all small communities as context, the Committee is also concerned at the severe lack of educational levels and public educational institutions without discrimination of well as communities disaggregated data with regard to, inter alia, urban/rural residence, any kind, including language or religion. The historical continuity and the which do not have a long membership of minority group, ethnicity, religion and disability. religious identity and tradition of the minority groups in the developmental and historical presence in 18. The Committee urges the State party to expeditiously take historical course of the island is safeguarded among others through the educational Cyprus. In order to measures to establish a comprehensive system for data collection, system in Cyprus. guarantee everyone’s analysis and monitoring, with data that is disaggregated by age, gender, During the last few years the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC), has full and non- ethnicity, geographic region and socio-economic background. In doing designed, developed and implemented a new policy with regards to multicultural discriminatory so, it particularly recommends that the State party undertake a review education, aiming at the smooth inclusion of pupils from third countries as well as enjoyment of freedom of of its existing data collection systems with a view to using the findings other EU member-states to the Cyprus Educational System. The objectives of this religion or belief, thereof for the establishment of a centralized comprehensive system for policy include, among others, the development and implementation of coordinated members of those the collection of disaggregated statistics and other information on a actions and interventions that promote the smooth inclusion of non-native religious communities regular basis, as well as develop child-specific rights indicators.” speaking pupils (including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers) to the Cyprus that fall outside the Educational System and the development of special educational methods and the ambit of those religions Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, application of new teaching approaches in order to promote the objectives of which have been Concluding observations on the seventeenth to twenty-second multicultural education. historically present in periodic reports of Cyprus, August 2013 (CERD/C/CYP/CO/17- In response to the demands of the contemporary society and the changing social the island should also 22): environment, both national and international, the overall policy is to promote the benefit from existing “14. Noting the information provided by the delegation that the issue of implementation of educational measures, which will help groups from different subsidies, including affiliation of religious groups with one of the two communities in the cultural identities to integrate themselves in a creative environment, regardless of financial support for State party will be addressed in future revisions of the Constitution, the background and enabling teachers to support pupils’ linguistic and cultural needs denominational schools, Committee nonetheless expresses its concern that the constitutional in an effective way. presence in public media provisions currently deny the members of these groups of their right to Further to the above, children belonging to religious minority groups can attend and coverage in school self-identification and the free exercise of their political rights. The their respective minority schools that receive state subsidies, thus being able to curriculum and teaching Committee is also concerned that article 2 of the 1960 Constitution preserve their language, identity and culture. However, they can also attend state materials.” recognizes only those “religious groups” which had a membership of mainstream schools where awareness of their historical presence in Cyprus is over one thousand on the date of the coming into force of the promoted. Constitution. (art. 5). The protection and promotion of the Armenian language is safeguarded through The Committee recommends that the State party consider all possible the functioning of the Armenian Schools Nareg, which are fully subsidized by the means for guaranteeing the right to self-identification and the free MOEC. The University of Cyprus, with the financial contribution of the MOEC, 1 Recommendations of Follow-up information from UN documents (e.g. Special Follow-up information from the Government of the Republic of Cyprus/ the Special Rapporteur Procedures, Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review and Office Turkish Cypriot authorities/other stakeholders in his mission report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) *The information in this column is reproduced as received from the various (A/HRC/22/51/Add.1) stakeholders in November and December 2014 exercise of political rights without distinction. Moreover, the also offers lessons for learning the Armenian language at various levels. Committee recommends that the State party define “minority” and the It is noted in particular that, a scientific recording research and phonetic rendering rights of persons belonging to minority groups in its legislation. The of the Cyprus Arabic Maronite (CMA) Language is being carried out for the Committee requests the State party to provide in its next periodic Maronite community. At the same time, lessons for the revival and the teaching of report information on these provisions and on the economic and this language to young children are being subsidised by the Ministry of Education cultural contribution of minorities to the society.” and Culture (MOEC). The CMA is taught in the context of lessons provided at the Saint Maronas School and through the financial support of a project offering Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, Summary of childcare and language-immersion afternoon lessons. Also, a camping with stakeholders’ submissions prepared by the Office of the United educational activities that aim at the strengthening of the children’s bonds with Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, November 2013 their native land and their identity is organised every year in the occupied village (A/HRC/WG.6/18/CYP/3): of Kormakitis, where young people learn the language in an enabling and “52. CoE-CM recommended that Cyprus make efforts to adjust public culturally appropriate context. support to the preservation and development of the culture of the Safeguarding and promoting the cultural diversity of Armenian, Latin and Armenians, the Latins and the Maronites to their actual needs, and Maronite communities are two goals strongly supported by the Cultural Services. effectively assist these groups in the establishment of cultural centres; These goals are accomplished through various programmes of subsidy and take effective measures, including of a financial nature, to support the collaboration implemented by the Cultural Services. Within the context of these revitalisation and promotion of the language of the Maronites as well programmes, state financial aid is provided to the cultural centres and foundations as their culture, religion and traditions and increase efforts to facilitate of these communities in order to enable them to organise cultural events that their contacts with persons who shared their identity and their place of promote their musical, theatrical, dance and literary tradition. In this way, the origin; take more resolute steps to promote mutual respect and members of religious minorities have the opportunity to access aspects of their understanding within Cypriot society; and pursue and develop cultural identity and at the same time these types of activities promote cultural measures to enable effective participation of Turkish Cypriots in understanding and tolerance. Various actions that promote